God's Extravagance

Some more thoughts drawn from Augustine's "Confessions" ...... Augustine talks about the wonder of God's love and the way in which that exceeds, and so contrasts with, the best that we can do. God's love for us is abundant - what God offers us is extravagant. As we receive God's blessings, may we respond somewhere around where we should! Addressing God, Augustine writes: "Extravagance masquerades as fullness and abundance: but you are the full, unfailing store of never-dying sweetness. The spendthrift makes a pretence of liberality: but you are the most generous dispenser of all good. The covetous want many possessions for themselves: you possess all. The envious struggle for preferment: but what is to be preferred before you? Anger demands revenge: but what vengeance is as just as yours? Fear shrinks from any sudden, unwonted danger which threatens the things that it loves, for its only care is safety: but to you nothing is strange, nothing unforeseen. No one can part you from the things that you love, and safety is assured nowhere but in you. Grief eats away its heart for the loss of things which it took pleasure in desiring, because it wants to be like you, from whom nothing can be taken away." (Book 2, Section 6)